Kisai Stencil LCD Watch

Kisai Stencil from Tokyoflash Japan is an intuitive watch design with a brand new custom designed stainless steel case and leather strap. Visually artistic, the colored LCD display shows the time in negative space, a technique that appears cryptic at first but is actually very simple to read.

With time and date functions, alarm and EL backlight for night time, Kisai Stencil was originally a concept on the Tokyoflash Design Studio Blog.

A Limited Edition Watch with Time, Date, Alarm & EL Backlight

Easy to read at a glance, Kisai Stencil has an always on LCD display in a choice of five different colors. At first the display appears to be a pictograph of lines and dots, however, if you look at the background, you can clearly see the digital time: hours in the upper half of the screen, minutes in the lower half of the screen shown in negative space. A clever idea that plays tricks with the mind, but is easy to read once you know how.

One push of the lower button switches the display to date mode. Kisai Stencil also has an alarm mode and an EL backlight which illuminates the display making it easier to read at night time.

Each part of Kisai Stencil has been individually designed and manufactured, including the case, strap and uniquely programmed display. Like all watches from Tokyoflash Japan it is a limited edition design which means that it is guaranteed to be an original design that not many other people own.

A Light Stainless Steel Wrist Watch with a Genuine Leather Strap

Made of high quality polished stainless steel, Kisai Stencil has a uniquely cut mineral crystal lens and a genuine leather strap in a choice of black or white with subtle embossed numbering to match the display. One of the lightest watches available from Tokyoflash Japan it is ideally suited to people who like a fun, light weight watch. The watch uses a standard CR2025 watch battery which will last at least 12 months and can easily be replaced.

In February 2010, Tokyoflash Japan opened its Design Studio Blog to showcase concept designs and request ideas for new watch designs from fans. The idea for Kisai Stencil was submitted by Heather Sable from the USA and was voted as one of the most popular designs by fans. This is the fifth concept submitted by a fan to become reality.

When I first learned about the Tokyoflash Design Challenge, I was very intrigued by the possibility of having a concept of mine brought to life. I thought it would be a dream come true to be able to wear a watch of my own design, so I took on the challenge, and began regularly submitting concepts to the blog.

I found that I had a knack for creating read-at-a-glance designs with cryptic looking, yet easy to read digits. I designed the digits for this concept by starting with rectangular shapes, and cutting out unnecessary pieces using line segments and dots. By arranging them into four quadrants with some connecting lines, the display appears to be just a bunch of stencilled in lines and dots, while if you read the background, you can see the digits clearly.

When I got an email from Tokyoflash telling me they were interested in this design, I was absolutely elated. I had a huge smile on my face for the entire day. Now that I see how my concept has been brought to reality as Kisai Stencil, I am super-excited. The fact that Tokyoflash decided to emboss the digits I created on the strap fits so perfectly with the fact that I am a Math Teacher - of course there are numbers on my watch strap!

Thank you, Tokyoflash, for creating this opportunity and for seeing something special in my design. This truly is a dream come true. Thank you to everyone who commented and voted for my design on the blog, and thank you to everyone who buys one!